Larry Magid Tech Report: Amazon's Dash Offers Ordering at the Push of a Button
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS)— Amazon has been offering one-click ordering online for almost two decades, but now they're taking that idea into the real world with Dash. The actual button allows Amazon Prime members to conveniently restock household items with a simple push.
Had they announced this on April 1st, I would have written it off as a joke, but the announcement came earlier in the week.
The little buttons connect to your wi-fi network and can be stuck on your refrigerator or washing machine. For example, if you're running low on detergent; instead of having to go through the enormous effort of logging in online or on your smartphone you just push the button you've placed on your washing machine and a couple days later a box of Tide shows up.
They'll do this for diapers, water or anything else you might want around. It's also another way of making it very easy for you to spend money on Amazon.com.
Right now the service is by invitation only, so they're trying it out. I logged on to see how long it would take to get my button and I had to apply to go through their beta program.
There's a major practical element at play here. Just yesterday I was in a shoe store and they didn't have my size on a shoe I liked. I went online and sure enough, Amazon.com had them and I ordered them in my size. I guarantee you, if the shoe store had it in my size I would have bought them there. I would much rather patronize a local merchant than a company in Seattle that's going to ship it, but it's the ease and convenience that is Amazon's strong point that makes them so desirable.